China ends anti-dumping duties on styrene-butadiene-rubber imports from Russia, Japan, South Korea

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China has ended its anti-dumping duties on styrene-butadiene-rubber (SBR) imports from Russia, Japan, and South Korea, effective Monday, September 8, the Ministry of Commerce said over the weekend, reported Apic-online.

In 2009, China extended its 4-38% anti-dumping duties on SBR imported from the countries by five years.

The tax expired Monday, and the ministry has been reviewing whether to extend it.

The ministry said the domestic industry urged it not to continue imposing the anti-dumping duty and, therefore, it decided not to continue it.

As MRC informed previously, China's Ministry of Commerce (Mofcom) will suspend anti-dumping duties on adipic acid (polyamide intermediate) from the European Union, the US and South Korea, if applications for expiry reviews are not received from domestic adipic acid producers.

Applications must be received at least 60 days prior to the 2 Nov. 2014 expiration of the measures. The duties, ranging from 5% to 35.4%, were imposed in 2009.
MRC

Prices of titanium dioxide in Russia decreased

MOSCOW (MRC) - Prices of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in the Russian domestic market decreased on the back of the weak demand and large carryovers, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Traders in Russia reported a poorer sales in September. The situation in the titanium dioxide market was quite difficult in August, but in the beginning of September the market demand has fallen even more, according to sources in the market.

Market participants fear of further price reduction of titanium dioxide in the Russian domestic market. Some companies have sold material at a loss, wanting to get rid of the stock balance. Price range from Chinese producers in the Russian market were heard in a wide range.

Because of the desire to get rid of the carryovers prices have been reduced to Rb95,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT. The upper end of spot prices of Chinese titanium dioxide in Russia were heard at the level of Rb110,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.

Price offers from Crimean Titan were heard in the range of Rb104,000 -108,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.
Prices of Ukrainian titanium dioxide by Sumykhimprom production were in the range of Rb100,000-105,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.

Spot prices of TiO2 by Dupont production for major buyers started from Rb130,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including and Rb150,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT for the retail market.
MRC

RusVinyl launches PVC production

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Russian-Belgian plant RusVinyl (Nizhny Novgorod region) has started commercial production of suspension PVC (SPVC), reported MRC analysts.

Market participants said RusVinyl had started commercial production of SPVC at its site in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The official opening ceremony of the plant is scheduled for 12 September. Trial runs at the plant's polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production began in early August.

Meanwhile, the first shipments of on-spec PVC to end-users have already started. At the same time, the plant's capacity utilisation will be low so far, particularly, in September, because of a number of factors.

LLC "RusVinyl" is a joint Russian-Belgian venture founded by SIBUR, Russia's largest petrochemical company, and the Belgian company SolVin, a leading PVC producers in Europe. The project started in 2007 and was targeted for a construction of a plant with the annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes of PVC, 30,000 tonnes of emulsion PVC and 225,000 tonnes of caustic soda.
MRC

BASF increases prices of methylamine and methylamine derivatives in Europe

MOSCOW (MRC) -- With immediate effect, BASF, the world's petrochemical major, is increasing its European sales prices for methylamines and methylamine derivatives, reported the company on its site.

Thus, the price increase looks, as follows:

- methylamine (Mono-, Di-, Tri-) - by EUR50/tonne;
- dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) - by EUR40/tonne;
- dimethylethanolamine (DMEOA) - by EUR30/tonne;
- dimethylacetamide (DMAc) - by EUR40/tonne or in the corresponding value in local currency if existing contracts allow.

Methylamine and methylamine derivatives are versatile chemical intermediates with a wide range of applications, such as crop protection and water treatment agents as well as personal care products. They also prove valuable in the production of feed additives and organic solvents. BASF produces methylamines and their derivatives at its sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Geismar, Louisiana, USA and Nanjing, China.

As MRC informed previously, BASF raised its European sales prices for Ethyleneamines (EEA) in June 2014. The price increase was, as follows: ethylenediamine (EDA) - by EUR50/tonne, diethylenetriamine (DETA) - EUR50/tonne or by the equivalent amounts in local currency.

Ethyleneamines are high-class intermediates used in the manufacture of crop protection agents and paper chemicals, surfactants for detergents and cleaning products, process chemicals for gas treatment, lubricants and cement additives as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients. BASF produces ethyleneamines at its Verbund sites in Antwerp, Belgium and Nanjing, China.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. BASF had sales of about EUR74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year.
MRC

Shell applies for dock permits at proposed petrochemical site in Ohio

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shell Chemicals has applied for a permit to build two docks and 24 smaller moorings for barges on the Ohio River near the site of its proposed petrochemical complex in Center and Potter townships, as per Washingtontimes.

The application is being reviewed by the Army Corps of Engineers, which estimates a decision could be made in 120 days, as per spokesman Josh Shaffer. It includes excavation, grading and installing culverts in 2.5 miles of streams and on 4.3 acres of wetlands, and building a compensating stream and wetlands site in Avella, Washington County. Shell also must obtain a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency for the project.

The oil giant proposed building the plant on the site of a closed zinc plant owned by Crafton-based Horse­head Corp. Shell spokeswoman Kimberly Windon said the application is one part of the process the company is following to obtain permits and gather information before it can make a decision on building the plant. It would convert ethane pulled from the Marcellus shale into chemicals to make plastics and other products.

Shell spokesman Michael Marr says getting the necessary permits is a "prerequisite" for Shell to make a "final investment decision."

Shell has said it may take years to decide whether to build the plant.

As MRC wrote before, Vitol Group, the world’s largest independent oil trader, is considering a bid for some of Royal Dutch Shell's Australian downstream operations. Shell, Europe’s biggest oil company, is stepping up asset sales after spending a record USD45 billion on projects and acquisitions last year. Its earnings from refining and marketing dropped by almost half to USD892 million in the three months to September.

Royal Dutch Shell plc is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the biggest company in the world in terms of revenue and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors". Shell is vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading.
MRC